


His Master's Voice

by kethni



Category: American Gothic (TV 1995)
Genre: M/M, Prequel, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 01:24:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19861240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: Lucas spun him around. ‘Kneel,’ he growled.





	His Master's Voice

**Author's Note:**

> For Anonymous, who asked for a Lucas/Ben D/S relationship

It took the car nearly three hours to die. Three hours of erratic stops and starts. Three hours of a screaming engine and squealing tires. The AC perished a little way out of Charlotte. They cracked open the windows and the noise of the outside world wound inside, along with the heat.

Steam slowly settled on the windows. A bee drifted into the car and bounced drowsily against the windshield.

The engine finally died just outside of Jacksonville. The car shuddered to a halt by a tumbledown farmhouse, scattering a dozen scrawny, ragged dogs.

‘Oh my God,’ Barbara Joy moaned. ‘What are we gonna do, Ben?’

He twisted around in his seat. The dogs were regrouping over by, what he really hoped, was roadkill. There were birds clustering the yellowing trees. He opened the door and got out. He could hear the birds chattering and the distant whisper of traffic.

‘I can hear cars,’ he said, leaning down to call through the window. ‘I’ll go find help.’

‘There’s water in the trunk,’ Barbara Joy said. ‘Don’t get dehydrated.’

Ben sighed. ‘Okay, it’s not gonna be far. I won’t be long. It’s gonna be okay.’

Her smile was weak. ‘Sure, Ben. I know. You got this.’

He had it. Sure. He had everything under control. He was twenty-year-old college drop-out with a pregnant wife, two rooms in Goat Town, and the promise of a low-paying, no prospects job. Whoop di do.

Ben followed the sound of traffic until he hit the collection of clapperboard buildings that was all that remained of the Jacksonville town. The stores were boarded up and covered in graffiti, but there was a payphone. Ben gingerly lifted the receiver and realised that he had no change. Damn it. He’d really been hoping to avoid calling the sheriff’s station. The sheriff had already done so much for him that he couldn’t possibly pay him back. Now here he was having to ask for another favour. Jesus. He couldn’t do anything right. He couldn’t even drive Barbara Joy home without the whole thing becoming a complete disaster.

***

He heard the car before he saw it. It wasn’t loud. If anything, if was quieter than the background. Just looking at the patrol car approaching, Ben knew that the AC was running well and running silent. Ben could sweat in a frost. Sheriff Lucas Buck looked like he could walk into an inferno wearing an overcoat and come out eating an ice cream.

The car growled to a halt next to Ben and the door opened. Anyone else and Ben would see them sitting back in the seat as he got in. Not the sheriff of Fulton County. He was unmoving in his seat, so casual and relaxed. He might have been sat there for an hour or a day for how natural he looked.

‘Afternoon, Ben,’ Lucas said.

‘Thanks so much for this,’ Ben said. ‘I didn’t expect you to come yourself, I really appreciate it.’ He jumped into the passenger seat. The car was as cool as he was expecting, glorious after the heat of the day, and immaculately clean. Lucas’s cologne was light but carried a hint of something deeper and darker. ‘I bought that car in good faith from Barbara Joy’s uncle three weeks ago. You’d think that you could trust relatives not to rip you off.’

‘Take it as a lesson learned, Ben,’ Lucas said. ‘The only person you can trust is me.’ He said it with a smile that danced the line between self-deprecation and self-importance. On anyone else it might have been cloying or alarming. Lucas made it charming.

Ben smiled back. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’

Lucas tapped his thumbs. ‘Ben?’

‘Yes, Lucas?’

‘Have you left Barbara Joy around here somewhere or…’

Ben blinked. ‘Oh shit!’

***

Barbara Joy was asleep in the back of the car. She started snoring right about the time they entered the Trinity city limits. A low snore that started with a low whine, rose to an arrhythmic growl, and ended with a sort of snuffle. It was a sound that haunted Ben’s dreams.

‘It’s the baby weight,’ Ben said quickly. ‘She never used to snore before.’

Lucas glanced across at him. ‘Not typically the reason that new wives keep their husbands up at night.’

Ben laughed nervously. ‘Yeah, well, not every new wife is four months pregnant.’ He was pretty sure most of them didn’t scream “don’t touch me!” either.

‘You’ve not been to Goat Town before?’ Lucas asked dryly.

Ben sighed. ‘Unfortunately, I have,’ he said. ‘It’s just a starter home. Once everything is settled with her folks, we’ll find something better in Trinity proper.’

Lucas pursed his lips. ‘If you need another loan, Ben, we can work something out.’

‘No, you’ve already been so, so, helpfully and I, we, are so grateful. I’m gonna work this out on my own.’ At least he hoped so.

Lucas patted Ben’s leg. ‘You’re gonna be a real asset, I can tell.’

It should’ve been patronising, from anyone else it would’ve been. Between teasing tone, the hint of a smile, and the warm, strong hand on his thigh, Ben felt a thrill surge up his spine. 

‘That… That means a lot,’ Ben stammered. ‘It really does.’

***

It was the soft whisper of rain that tipped him over the edge. In autumn, there was a soft, sleepy light that made the entire day feel like the dying afternoon. Ben struggled through his paperwork until the rain began. The susurration rose outside. When he looked up, he saw the gentle rain running down the windows. Watching the rivulets run down the glass, merging and flowing, was oddly hypnotic. Ben felt his head nodding, but he could… he would… he wasn’t going to…

The hairs rose on his arms. Fingertips traced along his skin. Warm lips slipped up the nape of his neck raising goosebumps in their wake.

The door was thrown open, setting the bell jingling. Ben jolted to his feet.

Mrs Lacey shook her umbrella and pushed her hood back. ‘Boy, I know you went off to college in the big city, but here in Trinity, menfolk open doors for ladies.’

‘I’m awfully sorry, Ma’am,’ Ben said, running over. He took her umbrella and her coat. ‘How can I help you?’

‘Is the sheriff in?’ she asked. ‘The Temples are doing it again.’

‘My word, Mrs Lacey, you are looking quite divine this morning,’ Lucas said.

Ben twisted around. He’d swear of a stack of Bibles that the door hadn’t opened.

She blushed immediately and her hands fluttered with the hem of neckline of her dress. ‘You are such a dreadful flirt, sheriff.’

Lucas sauntered over to her. ‘Maybe I’m needing more practice.’

Mrs Lacey giggled. ‘You’re gonna distract me from why I’m here!’

He shook his head. ‘I would never wish to do such a terrible thing. Please come through to the office and tell me all about it.’

***

The rain was slowing as Ben drove down the twisting, rutted, track. Lucas was sprawled out in his seat and if you didn’t know him you might think that he was relaxed. Ben was unpleasantly aware of the tension in Lucas’s face and the coiled energy in his limbs. It seemed like everyone tensed up just as soon as look at him, but he thought Lucas was different.

‘I don’t think I know the Temples,’ Ben said.

‘What?’

It wasn’t a request for information. It certainly wasn’t an encouragement to further engagement. Ben licked his lips.

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Ben said. He felt Lucas’s glance but kept his eyes on the road. He’d done it again. Said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Why was he so damn stupid? Why hadn’t he learned?

He father had been the life and soul of the party, except when he wasn’t. When his mood soured it was best to be out of sight. Ben’s mom had always known when a storm was coming and tried to get Ben and Artie out of the way. Now Barbara Joy had taken to screaming and throwing ornaments. Ben couldn’t remember the last time they laughed. Never mind the last time she smiled at him.

The Temple place was isolated even by the standards of rural North Carolina. The wheels spun in the mud as Ben drew the car up by the Temple’s Station Wagon.

‘This your first domestic abuse contretemps?’ Luke asked.

Ben unbuckled his seatbelt. ‘From the deputy side of things, yeah. I’ve been told they can go bad real quick.’

‘A few years back Ol’ Gage started stepping out with his sister-in-law, Christine,’ Lucas said. ‘That ended with the newspaper building burning down with Christine and her hubby Peter inside it.’

‘Holy shit!’

Lucas opened his car door. ‘Small town doesn’t always mean small crimes, Ben, remember that.’

***

Judith Temple was a good-looking woman and she wore her pregnancy well. The bruises on her forearm were an accessory that nobody could pull off. It was still better than the expression of loathing on her face.

Lucas’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t flinch or look away from her.

‘Ben, I think you best go inside and make sure that everyone else is okay,’ Lucas said, not looking at him.

‘Uh, who’s in there?’ Ben quavered.

Judith rolled her eyes. ‘Why did you even bring him?’

Lucas shrugged. ‘The boy’s gotta learn how the world works sooner or later.’ He glanced at Ben. ‘Husband’s in the back. Daughter’s in living room. Go on.’

Judith took a half step to the side to allow Ben past.

‘Congratulations on your pregnancy, Ma’am,’ Ben said.

‘Not quite housebroken him yet,’ Lucas said to Judith.

‘I think we know how you housebreak your pets,’ she sneered.

‘Only if they make deals they don’t intend to keep,’ Lucas said.

Ben didn’t understand three words together out of that but the tension between them was screaming something else that he didn’t understand. Honestly, he had a feeling he didn’t want to understand it.

There was a little girl sat in the corner of the room, by the couch. She was rocking back and forth, clutching a teddy bear to her. Ben knelt in front of her.

‘Hey there, sweetheart,’ he said gently. ‘How’re you doing?’

She looked at him with wide, blank eyes. ‘Someone’s at the door.’

‘That’s just Sheriff Buck,’ Ben promised. ‘You don’t have to worry about him.’

She returned her vague attention to the doll.

‘Is your daddy around?’

No answer.

Ben stood and ran his hands through his hair. He looked around the room. There were a few books on the floor and a broken photo frame in the doorway out of the living room. The armchair was newer than the rest of the furniture and indentations on the floor showed where a rocking chair had stood. It was just a room like any other. Bigger than the rooms he and Barbara Joy had, truth be told.

He headed out of the room, knocking on the door as he went. ‘Mr Temple? Mr Temple, it’s Deputy Healy from the Sheriff’s department.’

Gage Temple was in the kitchen, poking with a spoon at whatever he had cooking on the stove.

‘Mr Temple? I’m Deputy Healy,’ Ben said. ‘We had a… noise complaint.’

Gage looked up. He had a black eye and a vivid gash across his cheek. ‘We? Who’s we? You here with someone else?’

Ben blinked. ‘Yeah, I’m here with the sheriff and –’

Gage went pale. ‘He’s out there with Judith?’

‘Well they’re on the stoop and –’

Gage shoved Ben aside and charged towards the stoop. Ben turned off the stove and hurried after him.

Judith was holding a paperknife in one shaking hand, aimed at Lucas. As Gage charged into the room, Lucas put his hand over Judith’s and easily pulled the paperknife from her hand.

‘You best work on your temper, Mrs Temple,’ he said. ‘We can’t be coming out here every time you take it out on Gage.’

He hadn’t even looked at Gage. Ben was sure.

Gage grabbed his gun from the top of the bookcase.

‘Whoa, stop right there!’ Ben bellowed.

Gage raised the gun.

‘Put it down! Put it down!’ Ben insisted, training his gun on Gage. 

‘Stop him!’ Judith snarled. ‘This was not our deal!’

Lucas gently pushed her behind him. ‘Gage, we’re all real impressed by your protective instincts. Now be a good boy and lower your gun before my deputy follows his training and makes Judith here a widow.’

‘I ought to shoot you,’ Gage said. The gun was shaking. ‘I should’ve done it before all _this_.’

Lucas shrugged easily. ‘You’re welcome to try, Gage, but my deputy there is too close to miss. You’d be dead before you hit the ground.’

‘Damn it, Gage,’ Judith said. ‘Put the gun down! Haven’t I had to do enough to save your fool ass?’

Gage looked at Ben, as if evaluating how likely he was to fire. Ben knew that he was shaking, and his breathing was rough.

‘You heard the sheriff,’ he said. ‘Put it down and nobody gets hurt.’

It was seconds but it felt like hours. Ben had never aimed a gun at another person before. He’d never even drawn his weapon on duty before.

‘Okay, okay, I’m putting down the gun,’ Gage said.

‘Nobody wants to press charges,’ Judith said, as Ben kicked Gage’s weapon away.

Lucas pursed his lips. ‘That’s awful sweet of you lovebirds but you ain’t the one who got a gun pulled on him.’

Judith set her jaw. ‘You’re gonna stand there and pretend that you’d risk half the town knowing _why_ he pulled a gun?’

‘Not if you ask me nicely,’ Lucas said.

Ben holstered his gun. His hands were shaking so much it took him two attempts.

Judith didn’t move her gaze from Lucas. ‘Gage, go take Merlyn up to her bedroom.’

For a few moments it looked as if Gage was going to argue. Then he stomped back into the house.

‘Ben, go wait in the car,’ Lucas said.

Later, hours later, that would sting. At that moment though Ben was desperate to flee the sickening tension between Lucas and Judith. Desperate to be somewhere else before his ragged breath betrayed him.

He marched out of the house with all the dignity he could muster and threw up in a bush a few feet from the car.

***

Lucas was whistling as he got in the car. ‘Time for lunch, I think. I’m feeling in the mood for barbeque.’

‘Lunch?’ Ben asked, the wheels squealing as he turned the car around. ‘We coulda both died in there and you want to get lunch?’

‘Can you think of a better time?’

Ben shook his head. ‘Everyone says that you can go all the way to retirement without pulling your gun. I’ve been a deputy less than six weeks and I was in a Mexican standoff!’

Lucas turned in his seat. Ben caught his thoughtful expression and squirmed.

‘You done yellin’ at me?’ Lucas asked mildly.

‘Sorry Lucas,’ Ben said quickly. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I got no business taking my stress out on you. I just wasn’t expecting this to be my life.’

‘Your stress? You think that _you’re_ the one suffering stress after you let that happen?’

Ben’s mouth dropped open. ‘Me? What did I do?’

‘I _told_ you to see to Gage and the daughter,’ Lucas said. ‘You let him come barging in, waving a gun around, when I was dealing with Judith. You dropped the ball, Ben. I am extremely disappointed.’

Ben swallowed and he tightly gripped the wheel. ‘I’m… I’m real sorry, Lucas,’ he said quietly. ‘I feel like shit that I let you down.’

‘Just drive the car.’

They rode in an unpleasant silence for a couple of miles. Ben’s stomach was filling with bile. He could taste nausea in the back of his throat and feel it burning in his nose. His hands were white on the wheel as he gripped it more and more tightly.

They were passing through the woods. Ben saw a flash of black wings in his peripheral vision. A crow, maybe, or a raven. His grandma would’ve called it a portent of doom. She thought everything was a damn portent of one type or another.

‘Pull over,’ Lucas said.

‘I’m sorry,’ Ben said. ‘Lucas, I’m so sorry –’

‘Ben,’ he said. ‘Pull over the car.’

The car motor screeched as Ben swerved over and slammed on the breaks.

Lucas opened his door. ‘Mite dramatic don’t you think?’

Ben groaned as he unbuckled his belt. ‘You want me to come out with you?’

‘I’m not here in the middle of the woods for my benefit, am I?’

Ben stumbled out of the car and had to half jog to keep up with Lucas’s long-legged stride. Even now, anxiety heavy in his gut, he noticed the way Lucas’s pants clung to his ass. He had to stop thinking like that. It wasn’t right. It was just because Barbara Joy hadn’t kissed him since before the wedding. Hadn’t so much as let him hold her hand since they moved here.

‘Are you gonna shoot me or what?’ Ben asked, catching up as Lucas stopped.

Lucas turned around. ‘How would I do that, Ben? You’re the one with the gun.’

‘Why don’t you have a gun?’ Ben demanded. ‘What if someone pulled a gun on me!’

‘If someone pulled a gun on you, I would _deal_ with it.’

‘How?’

Lucas moved closer. ‘This is your problem, Ben, you have no faith.’

‘I have faith!’

‘Do you trust me?’ Luke asked.

‘Yes!’ Ben said hotly.

‘Because there are things that I need from you, Ben, and if you can’t give them to me then you are _useless_ to me. Are you useless, deputy? Or are you the man that I need?’

‘I’m the man you need!’ Ben insisted.

Lucas was in his face now, barely inches away. ‘Do you know what I need?’

‘Tell me, Lucas! Tell me what you need!’

Lucas slowly licked his lips. ‘Your loyalty, Ben,’ he said softly. ‘Your trust. Most of all your _obedience_. Can you do that? Can you be _obedient_?’

Ben could hear the blood pounding in his veins. ‘I can do that.’

‘No matter what?’

‘No matter –’

Lucas kissed him, hard. Ben swallowed.

‘Turn around,’ Lucas ordered. ‘Drop your pants.’

‘Yes, sheriff,’ Ben muttered, closing his eyes as he leaned against the tree. He shivered as his hands were pulled behind his back. He was cuffed brutally tightly.

Ben whined softly as Lucas took him hand. Whined in pain. Whined in pleasure.

‘Tell me what you want,’ Lucas whispered into his ear.

‘Please, please… Do it… Do it…’

It was wrong. He felt it in his bones. He knew this wasn’t a quick and dirty fumble like he’d had before. Like he’d had with Barbara Joy before everything went to hell. This was slow and deliberate.

Lucas spun him around. ‘ _Kneel_ ,’ he growled.

Ben crashed down to his knees. He looked up at Lucas. ‘I’ve never done this before,’ he whispered.

Lucas unbuttoned his pants. Then he slid his fingers into Ben’s hair. ‘You’ve been wanting to since the moment we met.’

Ben closed his eyes. Felt the heft and girth. Took it into his mouth. Lucas’s fingers were in his hair, holding him close, holding him tight.

He knew he was hard. He knew he couldn’t touch himself. He knew that was deliberate. This was what Lucas wanted. Ben squirming as he gave without receiving. As Lucas took what he wanted with ruthless efficiency.

Lucas grabbed Ben’s shoulder and dragged him to his feet. He spun Ben around and pinned him against the trees. The air was knocked from Ben’s lungs and he gasped.

‘Deep breath,’ Lucas murmured into Ben’s ear. ‘This ain’t no romance novel, Ben.’

Ben moaned as Lucas entered him. ‘Oh God, oh God…’

Lucas’s deep, soft chuckle sent sparks up Ben’s spine. ‘You could not be more wrong.’

His hand was on Ben’s thigh. In his crotch. On his dick. Thumb circling his balls. Lucas was behind him. In front of him. Inside him.

‘This what you want?’ Lucas asked.

Ben’s response was guttural. Nothing but sound and need.

‘You gonna be loyal, Ben?’ Lucas whispered.

‘Yes,’ he moaned.

‘You trust me?’

‘Yes.’ Ben was scrunching up his toes.

Lucas sank his teeth into Ben’s shoulder. Ben whimpered as he came.

‘You gonna be obedient?’

‘Promise. Promise,’ Ben sobbed.

He felt Lucas kiss the back of his head. ‘That’s a good boy,’ he said. ‘That’s my good boy.’

The End


End file.
